Return of the Ring
by KatieZfan
Summary: FAM Zorro: Victoria makes a late night visit to return her ring, but Diego gives it back. Reveal. I do not own the characters, I just like to play with them. Nor is any infringement intended on anyone's copyright. Zorro - Rated: T - English - Romance/Friendship - Chapters: 1, Words -3496, Complete.


Return of the Ring

By KatieZFan,

Jan. 2014

A knock sounded at the front door of the hacienda. It was after 9:30 and no one was expecting visitors at this time of night. Felipe went to answer the door, wondering who was out so late.

Opening the door, he was surprised to find Victoria Escalante standing there and her horse tied up outside. Felipe motioned for Victoria to come in and signed, "How can I help you?"

"Felipe, please find Diego for me. I need to talk to him." Victoria was calm but her voice was insistent. "It's important."

He nodded, but stood there thinking. He knew Diego was in the cave and would not be able to come out until she was away from the front of the house where the library was.

The entrance to the cave was in the library, directly through a panel in the back of the fireplace. He needed to get her out of the area before going to get Diego.

Felipe indicated for her to come with him to the kitchen. Puzzled, she followed him. Once there he poured her a glass of lemonade and brought out some cookies for her, motioning for her to sit at the small side table.

"Gracias for the food, Felipe, but I really need to see Diego." She didn't understand why he brought her to the kitchen.

Felipe motioned that he would bring Diego and that she should stay in the kitchen. Victoria was still mystified but she nodded. "I'll stay here until Diego comes."

Satisfied, he grinned as he quickly left for the cave.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"Victoria is here? This late at night? And she wants to see Diego?" The man on Toronado was dressed in black, ready to leave the cave. "Funny, I was just going to go to the tavern to see her."

He smiled, wondering if the subject of each of their visits was the same. If so, better here than the Tavern, really. He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. The woman who held his heart was here, and he was tired of putting their life on hold.

Felipe gestured to Diego's clothes hanging over the coat rack. Zorro dismounted and began to change while Felipe unsaddled Toronado before going to take Victoria's horse to the stable.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"Victoria, I hope I haven't kept you waiting long. Felipe told me you wanted to see me." Diego was concerned, still wondering why she had come out so late at night.

Finishing a cookie and a sip of juice, she rose from the table. "I need to talk to you, Diego. I'm sorry for coming so late but it's important."

"Would you like to sit and talk in the rose garden?" The garden held special memories for them both.

She shook her head. "It's a little too windy outside tonight. If you don't mind, could we sit in the library?"

"Of course." Diego led the way back to the library where they sat down at opposite ends of the sofa.

Facing toward the dining room, Diego thought he saw a shadow move. He hoped Felipe would go away and not eavesdrop. 

Diego looked at her inquiringly. "How can I help you, Victoria? Is anything wrong?" He could not understand what would bring her out this late, short of an emergency.

Victoria sighed, blushing slightly. "No, not wrong, exactly. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and I have come to some conclusions. I need your help."

"You know we will do anything within our power to help you, Victoria. You are like family to us. Father would agree if he were awake. He has retired early tonight, having just returned from a long business trip to San Bernardino."

"It isn't your father's help I need right now, Diego, it's yours. Do you remember a few months ago when I sprained my ankle? When you and your father saw me the next day in the tavern, you both remarked on how happy I looked, and you said …"

"You look as happy as a lamb in a meadow." Diego smiled. "I remember." He also remembered what had made her look so happy – Zorro had proposed to his lady the day before and been accepted.

Victoria blushed again. "Si. I _was_ happy. I didn't tell you why though."

"I remember that too. You said it was a secret."

"No, I said, 'Can you keep a secret?' and you replied, 'Of course!' and I said, 'Well, so can I.'"

"I remember." Diego was bemused, wondering where this was going. "Are you going to tell me what the secret is now?"

"Yes, that is why I am here, and why I need your help." Victoria looked gratefully at him, glad that they were such good friends. She laughed to herself. Good friends, yea, right.

"The secret is – that Zorro had proposed to me the day before." She looked at him innocently as she continued. "He gave me his mother's ring when I said yes." 

Diego looked amazed. "You are engaged to Zorro? Do you know who he is?"

"Well, when he asked me to marry him I didn't know, but since then I think I have figured it out." Her eyes danced as she watched him squirm a little.

"What… what do you mean, Victoria?" He was a little nervous about her declaration but tried to remain calm, remembering that she had said "_I think_," not "I know". He laughed quietly to himself. It seemed that she was on the same train of thought that he was tonight.

"When he proposed, Zorro told me that the one thing he was afraid of was that I could not love the man behind the mask, that I was in love with a hero with whom the ordinary man could not possibly compete."

She looked at him strangely. "I have thought about that every day since then, wondering why he would think that. It was a puzzle that I couldn't seem to solve. I told him that I did love the man under the mask, but he wouldn't believe me.

"Recently something happened when he fought with Emissary Risendo that gave me a little more insight. Risendo was determined to track down Zorro to destroy him, even trying to force the Alcalde and Sergeant Mendoza to solve the problem for him on pain of death.

"As I thought about it, I realized that the man _behind_ the mask had to hide himself even _more_ than when he wore the mask. The _man_ would have to be far more ordinary than Zorro was extraordinary, so that his identity would remain hidden.

"The man himself could not act brave and fight like Zorro, or the Alcalde would surely have figured him out quickly. In fact, it would be good if the man were almost the opposite of Zorro, weak-willed, studious, someone who hated to fight with a sword – does that sound like anyone you know, Diego?" Her eyes held his as he struggled to breathe evenly.

"Uh, well, that could apply to several men in the pueblo." Actually it wouldn't, unless you counted those who were very elderly, but he was trying to stall.

Amused, Victoria nodded. "But there is also the physical appearance of the man to be considered. Take the blacksmith, for instance. Marcos, even if he fit those character qualities, could not be Zorro – he is too large a man.

"Most of the other men are not as tall as Zorro, or they do not look anything like Zorro even if they are tall.

"It made me realize that for all the men who reside in this pueblo, there is only one I know that actually fits the description." She sat there calmly, her gaze holding his steadily.

"Well, assuming you are correct, who is it that fits the description?" Diego was determined not to give himself away too easily. He was curious to see how she would handle things.

It seemed to him that she had really figured it out. A small flame of hope began to grow in his heart. She didn't appear to be very upset about it, which was a wonderful thing, he thought. But he would make her do the explaining – at least at first.

"Before I tell you, I need to ask your help with something." Victoria took out a handkerchief tied in a knot. Unraveling it, she took a beautiful emerald and diamond ring and held it out to Diego.

"I wish to give this back."

Her words hung in space. He felt like the air had been sucked out of the room and for a moment he could only stare at the ring. His heart stopped in his chest as his eyes lifted to hers. He felt exposed in their glow.

She reached for his hand but he drew it away, unwilling to touch her. He was afraid she would place the ring in his hand.

She shifted closer to him on the couch, smiling sadly, but made no move to touch his hand again.

"I no longer wish to be engaged to Zorro. I have come to realize that he can never marry me. He cannot unmask, for his own safety as well as that of his family. No one would be safe from enemies craving revenge on Zorro.

"And for me to continue to be thought of as his 'lady' only gives his enemies a reason to use me as bait or for revenge."

Diego was uneasy but remained outwardly calm. His gaze turned dark as he thought about what she was saying. The possibilities of such things had not occurred to him before.

"I have to give this back, so that he can court me as _himself_ – _after_ he breaks up with me publicly as Zorro. No one must ever know we were engaged. If they did, they would never believe we would break up easily."

She shifted even closer to him, reaching for his hand again, this time without the ring. Cautiously he put his hand in hers. He looked at her hopefully. She smiled invitingly, her eyes glowing back with the same hope.

Diego began to breathe more easily. "Break up with Zorro?" he said slowly. "And then he could court you…." He looked more hopeful, beginning to like the idea. It had a lot of good points, even if it would take some time.

"_As himself_." The hope in her expression was like fireworks in the dark night sky. "You see, Diego, I do love the man for himself." Her eyes twinkled as she held his gaze.

Suddenly she hung her head, ashamed. "I have not always been kind to that man, and I hope he can forgive me for the way I have acted on so many occasions." She looked pleadingly at him as she took his other hand to hold them together in hers.

"I have put him down just because I believed he could not or would not fight for justice, when all the time he has been fighting behind a mask to keep us all safe."

Her heart and eyes begged him to understand. "Truth be told, I believe that the love I felt for Zorro was only a fantasy, inspired by his attention and the few kisses that he gave me."

The expression on his face caused her to chuckle softly.

"What are you laughing at?" Diego was puzzled.

"Your expression, Senor. You looked like you were upset."

"The man kissed you!"

She glared at him, her eyes gleaming. "I kissed him back, if you recall." Diego blushed slightly.

"If I may continue…" she went on, grinning. "I realized that the love I held for Zorro was only a fantasy. When I finally came to terms with that, I understood what real love was, and _who_ I really loved." She paused, gently squeezing his hands. "And who it was that loved _me_."

Diego looked down at his hands held in hers. He _had_ been afraid she wouldn't love Diego, but now….. He looked up again with hope in his heart, his eyes searching hers. "Who do you love, Victoria?" he whispered.

One hand reached up to stroke his cheek, a finger trailing over his soft moustache then tracing his lips. His eyes flared at her touch which felt like fire on his skin. Their gazes locked.

"I have been in love with the man since we were children playing. He used to play with my brothers more than me, but unlike my brothers he was always kind to me." Her eyes glowed with the memories of their youth.

"He was my protector when I was only a little girl. And now he is still my protector, even though we have grown up. Only I did not recognize it, until very recently.

"He is the man I always turn to when I need help. The man who loves me, who cares for me. The man who has been standing right in front of me patiently waiting for me to come to my senses." 

Her arms began to wind around his neck. Suddenly there was a noise of something dropping on the floor. They broke apart as Diego scooped up the ring which had fallen from her lap.

Placing the ring in his pocket, he gently lifted her hands back to his shoulders. "You were saying, Senorita?" He gave her a lopsided grin as his arms drew her close.

Her lips twitched as she grinned back at him. "I am tired of talking, mi Amor."

Silence reigned as his lips covered hers in a tender kiss. He sighed, holding her close. "Victoria, do you know where I was when Felipe came to get me after you arrived tonight?"

"Of course not! How would I know that?" She looked puzzled.

"You wouldn't, of course. But it's important for you to know." His eyes held hers captive as he pushed a stray curl behind her ear.

"I was dressed in black," he smiled, kissing her cheek. "I had just mounted Toronado, ready to head out of the cave to come visit you at the tavern when Felipe rushed in to get me."

Her eyes grew wide with fascination. "You were coming to see me?"

"I was. Another few seconds and I would have been gone. I had decided the time had come to unmask for you. I have loved you for so long, and I was tired of putting our lives on hold." His eyes twinkled at the expression of amazement in her eyes as he drew her close again.

Suddenly he stopped. "Victoria, there's something else…"

The senorita had other ideas. "Don't you remember what I said, Senor? I am tired of talking!" Her arms went around his neck as she kissed him passionately.

He was lost in her embrace; the feel of holding her in his arms was irresistible. Long moments later they drew apart, breathing heavily.

He drew a deep breath and tried again. "Victoria, this is important." He grinned at her scowl, kissing her nose. "I promise you'll like it."

"I'd better, Senor. I like kissing you very much, and I'm tired of being interrupted," she grinned at him, her eyes twinkling.

Diego thought he heard a grunt but he saw no one as he looked past her shoulder at the dining area behind her. Puzzled, Victoria cocked her head as if listening and lifted one eyebrow. Diego shook his head and winked.

He dropped to one knee on the floor before her on the couch and pulled the ring from his pocket. Her eyes grew wide and her smile was even wider.

"Victoria Escalante, would you please do me the great honor of marrying me, Diego de la Vega?" His look told her she had better say yes, and quickly. He was eager to get back to the kissing too.

She giggled, extending her hand so that he could put the ring on her finger. "Yes, Diego, I'll marry you." Her eyes lit up like sparklers.

Admiring the ring for a moment, she looked at him sternly. "It had better not come off this time, Senor!" Grinning, shedrew him back up to the sofa and began to kiss him again.

His hands caressed her as he lifted her onto his lap. The kiss went from gentle to demanding in the space of a heartbeat.

Suddenly he picked her up in his arms and stood, looking down into eyes sparkling with desire that matched the fire in his.

She realized what was happening and started to speak but he shushed her, his breath soft in her ear as he spoke quietly. "_Play along with me, Querida_. _Trust me."_

She looked at him with a little grin and gave a tiny nod, kissing his chin and snuggling on his chest. He moved quickly down the hallway and took her into his room, closing the door quietly.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Around the corner of the dining room, Felipe tugged on his grandfather's arm. _Hurry!_

"Not yet, Felipe. Just a few moments." Alejandro grinned slyly. _"Trust me."_

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Diego laid Victoria on his bed and carefully lowered himself on top of her. Even with all their clothes on, the feel of her soft body against him felt like fire in his bones. He moved to lie slightly beside her, holding her close to him.

Victoria gazed at him, captivated at being held in such an embrace. He gave her a slow smile. "_Trust me_," he whispered again.

One arm was around her shoulders holding her close as his hand wove itself into her hair at the nape of her neck. He kissed her hungrily as his other hand went roaming over her breasts, causing her to whimper into his mouth.

His finger plucked the side of her blouse down, baring one sweet nipple to his caressing fingers. His warm breath flowed over it and he watched her eyes darken with desire as the raspberry nub grew taut. "Querida, mi Amor," his lips descended to tease and caress the sweet flesh.

"Diego! Ohhhhh, Di-e-go," she made his name sound like three long syllables, moaning aloud at the sensations he was creating with his hands and lips. His touch was like fire and it was driving her wild.

Suddenly she heard the sound of pounding. The door burst open and Alejandro and Felipe stood there in shock at the sight of Diego and Victoria in his bed.

Diego hurriedly pulled her blouse back up, still keeping Victoria in his arms.

"Father! I thought you had gone to sleep early." Diego looked flushed but calm.

Victoria blushed bright red, staring at him suspiciously. He grinned, nuzzling her ear. "Trust me," he said again softly.

"Yes, son, I _had_ gone to bed early. But Felipe came to tell me we had a late night visitor, so I rose and got dressed."

"So it was you I heard eavesdropping from the dining room." Diego looked like butter would melt in his mouth. Victoria grinned knowingly at him, understanding now what he was up to.

"Si." Alejandro glared at them for a moment, then his gaze softened. "Would you mind getting up so we could talk?"

Diego's nose touched Victoria's. "I'm afraid not, father, we're rather busy at the moment."

Victoria broke out laughing at that. Felipe stood behind Alejandro, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

"Yes, well, you two can be 'unbusy' for a while and come back to the library to talk with me." Alejandro strode further into the room to stand next to the bed.

Victoria grinned at Diego as he quickly helped her get up. Together they walked hand in hand back to the library with his father behind them.

Felipe was already sitting in the library, beaming. Alejandro sat down in the chair next to him, ruffling the young man's hair. "You're not setting a very good example for your son, Diego."

The couple sat down close together on the sofa. Diego smiled. "I think Felipe knows what I was up to, Father."

"I'm not foolish either, Son," Alejandro laughed at the two of them, both grinning like loons. "It appears I need to send for the Padre to have lunch with us tomorrow." His eyebrows rose as he held Diego's gaze.

"I think that would be an excellent idea, Father! I know this is rather sudden…."

Felipe threw his hands in the air and shook his head, "No, it's not," excited like a kid at Christmas. Alejandro laughed at his antics.

"A few months' engagement is rather short, I agree," Alejandro laughed, grinning at the couple, "but after the scene you just set up in your room, I can hardly be expected to wait much longer for a wedding." His grin grew larger. "Not to mention…"

"Grandbabies!" Alejandro, Diego and Victoria chorused at the same time. Felipe clapped his hands in joy. Laughter rang out through the house.

_Fini_


End file.
